Yam and Black Bean Burritos

I love, love, love the mixture of yams and black beans, so when I found this recipe I knew that it was going to be delicious. I found it on taste to savour (http://tastetosavour.blogspot.com/) and served it with my homemade and very spicy guacamole.

Yam and Black Bean Burritos

5 cups peeled and cubed yams (or sweet potatoes or blend of both)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 medium onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 jalapeno, diced (seeds removed first if you want to soften the heat)
4 tsp cumin, ground
4 tsp coriander, ground
3 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed and chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
salt and peppers to season
8 8" whole wheat tortilla (or flavour of your choice)

Preheat oven to 350'F. Place yams and salt in a saucepan with cold water to cover plus 1 ". Bring to a boil and then turn to a simmer til tender (10mins or so). Drain and set aside. While the yams are simmering heat the oil in a skillet and add the onions, garlic and jalapeno. Slow cook until they start to caramelize, about 10mins. Then add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2-3 more minutes to release the spices. Remove from heat and set aside. Place yams in a bowl and mash with a fork. Then mix in with a wooden spoon: black beans, cilantro, lime juice and onion mixture. Taste here and add salt and pepper. Lightly oil a baking dish. Spoon about 1/2 cup of mixture in the centre of each tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll it up. Place seam side down in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 30mins.

Un cappuccino s'il vous plait..

Nothing beats a homemade cappuccino on a rainy day.

Add cocoa and stir~

nom nom nom..

Hot and Heavy Pumpkin Pie

I used the recipe from the joy of baking website again, minus the pecan and gingersnap layer and 1.5x the spices.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/pumpkinpie.html

Italiano Cooking

My friend recently got back from Italy, bringing back with her some tasty Italian recipes. So the other day, we made a visit to whole foods, picked up a bunch of fresh, colourful ingredients and made an Italiano feast.

For appies, we put out pesto-stuffed sicilian olives, and 3 different types of cheese (French herbed brie, Italian provolone, and English chesire) with baguette.

For the entree, we made fusili pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, oregano, olive oil and feta cheese.

Hard-boiled eggs with balsamic vinegar and green onions.

Salade with mixed greens, peppers, sliced onions, cucumbers, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt.

And to keep up the theme, we drank peroni beer and lambrusci red wine.

FANTASTICO.

Cafe Deux Soleil

Cafe Deux Soleils is probably my favourite breakfast place in Vancouver, due to their amazing french toast and relaxed atmosphere. Located on Commercial Drive, they offer up a vegetarian-friendly breakfast and lunch menu, and delicious beverages (including homemade red and white wine sangria!). They house live bands every evening, and have a slam-poetry night at least once a month. If you live in Vancouver and enjoy veggie cuisine, you should definitely check this place out! Here's their website: http://www.cafedeuxsoleils.com/

Best french toast in town (yummmmmmmm!):

Black-Bean and Yam Fritters

I got this recipe from Martha Stewart Living, who calls them Spicy Black-Bean Cakes. Despite their puke-like appearance, these fritters are delicious and live up to their name in regards to hotness!

Spicy Black-Bean Cakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 scallions, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, pressed

1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 cans (15.5oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 plain dried breadcrumbs

Instructions:

1. Heat broiler. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook scallions until softened, 1 minute. Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add beans to bowl; mash with a fork or a potato masher, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole. Season generously with salt and pepper. Fold in sweet potato, egg, and breadcrumbs. Divide into 8 balls of equal size; flatten into patties.

3. Brush a baking sheet with remaining tablespoon oil; place patties on sheet, 1/2 inch apart. Broil 4 inches from heat until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, carefully turn cakes. Broil until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Martha serves this with Lime Sour Cream, which can be found here: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/spicy-black-bean-cakes